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The Many Bags of The Olsen Twins

While doing photo research yesterday to bring you this retrospective on The Many Bags of The Olsen Twins, one thing became starkly apparent: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are ahead on...well, basically everything. Looking through pictures of them from 2007 wasn't a trip back in time like it normally would be when dissecting a celebrity's style; five years ago, they were both dressing like every single fashionable girl I know dresses today, and they were getting called trolls for it. Little did we know, they were just paving the way for the rest of us.

The Olsen Twins have a tendency to do the same when it comes to handbags. They were the first to carry the crazily popular Alexander Wang Rocco Bag, way back when it was called the Coco, and they were also among the first to rock the Proenza Schouler PS1 and Celine Luggage Tote. Their appreciation for a vintage Fendi crocodile tote caused the brand not only to reissue it, but also to dub it the Fendi Twins Tote. And that's not even counting their gorgeous, obscenely priced bags for The Row. Check out all of that and more after the jump.

A Proenza Schouler PS1 AND a Celine Luggage Tote? At the same time? Two years ago, long before the Celine bag had hit critical mass? Nicely done, Mary-Kate. The PS1 can be had for $1995 via Net-a-Porter.

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Just for good measure, it's also important to have a Proenza Schouler PS1 in python, for days when Mary-Kate's feeling extra fancy. $3645 via Barneys.

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Mary-Kate once made a nearly destroyed pistachio green Balenciaga bag famous, but this burgundy version of the Balenciaga City Bag is in slightly better condition. Barneys has a similar option for $1545.

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Sometimes, though, the Olsens need a little more storage space. That's when Mary-Kate opts for her Balenciaga Work Bag. $1695 via Neiman Marcus.

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The Olsens have never been huge Chanel aficionados, but Mary-Kate's Chanel Classic Flap in bright red is definitely worth noticing. You can't buy 'em online, but contact Chanel at 800-550-0005 for purchase info.

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Mary-Kate also had a black patent Chanel Cabas back when they were the thing that everyone had to have. That other bag she's holding? Oh, just a vintage Hermes Kelly.

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And yet another black vintage Hermes Kelly, this time on Ashley's arm.

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On the opposite end of the Hermes size spectrum, this giant tan Hermes Birkin positively dwarfs Ashley.

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And then, of course, there are the bags that the Olsen Twins have made famous, starting with the Alexander Wang Rocco, which had people salivating six months in advance when the twins started sporting the very first version of the design. You can rock it yourself for $875 via ShopBop.

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And then there was the Fendi Twins Tote, which was a vintage piece that Fendi started making again after all the interest that the Olsen Twins generated in it. You can see its influence in one of Ashley's favorite bags from The Row. The Twins Tote is no longer made, but you can shop Fendi via Neiman Marcus. (We really recommend you take a look at the brand's brand new 2Jours Tote).

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Speaking of The Row, the Olsen Twins clearly draw inspiration from some of their favorite pieces in their personal collections, particularly vintage bags. This The Row Alligator Day Luxe Tote is their own spin in the Fendi Twins. You can grab the regular leather version via Barneys for $5400.

The strap looks really long and thinner than a typical Bal strap..did she add a different one? Hmmm…just wondering as I did that with my First so I can wear it crossbody (should have gotten a Town!).

Adriane

the constance isn’t green lizard… its croc

http://www.purseblog.com/ Amanda Mull

Fixed. For some reason I could have sworn it was lizard when I was writing the captions.

Adriane

haha everybody makes mistakes :)

Kat

I think two of the slides you have listed as Ashley are actually Mary-Kate. 18 and…12 I think. Mary-Kate’s hair tends to be more over-processed so that’s a tell. Plus I can’t see Ashley having chewed down nails as appear in slide 12.

http://www.purseblog.com/ Amanda Mull

I went by which twin the photo agency identified them to be, but the photo agency has certainly been wrong before and I did question a couple of these, including slide 12. I’ll see if I can have them re-verified.

I grew up with the Olsen twins (on Full House and with the movies they put out) and I am inspired by their fashion choices. Glad to see that they didn’t go down the road of a lot of child stars.

19yearslater

I love their fashion. They always look really cool and, as pointed out, ahead of the curve. Also, now I want Ray-Bans and weirdly a Kelly (weird as I’m no Hermes fangirl).

Rashida

I like the bags, but I wonder why they have to carry such large bags… they are so tiny, and a lot of the bags are just not in proportion to their bodies… do they really carry that much stuff???? Love The Row handbags!

http://www.purseblog.com/ Amanda Mull

I think regular-sized or slightly large bags just tend to look ENORMOUS on them because of their stature. I saw them at a party this past fall (name drop ahoy), and they really are super tiny, but very pretty and well put-together in person. For example, I think that the PS1 in this first pic is a large, which I own and carry as an everyday bag. It’s big enough for an iPad, but not a laptop, but it looks much bigger in her hand than it does in mine.

pixiegirlie

I’ve always loved their bag collection, because it’s so diverse they carry a little bit of everything. Although I will admit I’m not a big fan of the row bags. I also like how their style has developed over the years as they’ve aged. They’ve never had the crazy “look at me I’m an adult” dress like a stripper stage like so many female child stars go threw. While I know not a lot of people are fans of MK’s hobo chic style, but I like it. I kind of feel like it’s her way of saying F off to everyone who want’s her to fit the typical hollywood mold. She’s going to wear what she want’s and she CAN afford to wear whatever she wants and this is what she wants to wear.

belleism

how much are the alligator luxe totes?

http://www.purseblog.com/ Amanda Mull

I could only find the British price, which is 25,670BP. At current exchange rates, that’s about $40,000US

HC

I just love these girls! And I have always loved them. Even when everyone was hating on them for the oversized clothes and bags. Love that they just kept on wearing whatever they wanted. I also tend to wear my clothes bigger than they need to be simply because it’s more comfortable that way and I don’t see the need to have everyone knowing the exact shape of every aspect of my body. Also because I get cold easily and big sweaters are like carrying around a blanket with you everywhere you go. I always assumed that as tiny as they were they probably get cold easily too. (I’m not tiny, though, just always cold.)
That bag collection is amazing!! Not many of them are my style exactly, but you can see that they know fashion, taste, and elegance.
I love that everyone is starting to have to eat their ugly words a little bit now.

http://twitter.com/kimair kim m.

thanks for this! they have an enviable collection for sure! one of the bags that the twins were also known for is the “olsen” chanel chain handle bag. there are numerous threads on tPF about this no-longer-available stunner, that they both carried around alot. they also carried the givenchy nightingale before it became huge.

Antonia

I love the Olsen’s style-they just know how to put together outfits so effortlessly.

I’ve been waiting for a post like this! I love seeing their vast collection of bags. I’ve seen them work pretty much everything from hermes to proenza to balenciaga ect. but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them wearing any prada handbags. I’m not sure if I just haven’t noticed, but I’ve seen enough street style images of them to know which bags they tend to lean towards and I’ve never seen them sporting any Prada handbags? Anyone else?

NK

aww Heath in pic 6 :( loved him

Arianne Lima

Whats the name of this black purse in first picture?

KN

They have a billion dollars and they still manage to look like hobos. Please, hire a stylist.

Jackie

What size is this? Medium? I’m totally stressing because I bought the large on RueLala without trying it on and I’m so scared it’s going to be too big. HELP! I’m 5’8…if that helps?

anouk

on the 9th photo, oh dear, they do look like grandmas! :(

http://themisanthropez.tumblr.com/ The Misanthropé Z

I love them but I always wonder why the Row’s stuff are always more expensive than other designers’ stuff?

Citizenlen

All those Hermes and they can’t afford a hairbrush.

http://celinebuyjp.com Celine Buyjp

The Hermes birking style of bags are a great look, some times it ends up looking like an old lady bag but these twins knows how to do it.

bagnerd

For some reason, the Olsen twins perpetually look like children to me. It is as if they never look like grown women. Their faces are very very child-like and I cannot imagine them aging.

Mrs_Jack_of_all_trades

Dang, those Luxe gator totes are to die for! I don’t mind even the regular ones!

just sayin’

PURSES SHOULD NOT COST AS MUCH AS A CAR! $33.000???? Anyone can do a believable & chic croc embossed leather bag! Human vanity is weird. PS neither olswen twin should be deemed a fashion icon, they look like hobos not hobo-chic…just hobos.